Paradise Search : Dar Kawa Riad, Marrakech, Morocco

Early in December last year, we spent a few days in Marrakech. Picking a place to stay there can be a little overwhelming. The list of options seems to grow by the day and everybody sounds like they have their own secret address. Surely, from a distance a lot of these may look equivalent and it’s tempting to underestimate the meaning of location. Maybe more that somewhere else, here, knowing what kind of experience you’re looking for and taking into account the time of the year you’re visiting may be the key to a successful trip. In our case, we were going late in the season, which meant we didn’t have to worry about keeping cool, we also had visited before, and were therefore keen on keeping a distance with touristic hot spots. Lastly, we had already stayed in a very historical, heavily decorated hotel (and felt rather uncomfortable doing so), which meant we weren’t looking for the 1001 nights experience anymore. Riad Dar Kawa was going to be a great answer to our unspoken prayers.

]Dar Kawa is hidden deep in the medina, on the way to the souk des teinturiers. You get there by foot cause that’s how it works in the labyrinth of the old city. You know you’re heading in the right directions when everybody passerby tell you the contrary and tries to direct you to “the place” (Jemaa el-Fna, the busiest place and most famous place of Marrakech, which I personally dutifully avoid). There’s no escaping the fact that Marrakech is a royal city, and here a lot of things have to come with an extra dose of glitz. The more humble side of Moroccan aesthetic is a little bit harder to see in the capital, but as you stand in front of the door of Dar Kawa, it’s obvious you’ve come to the right place to find it.

With only four rooms, things here have a small, cosy scale. The most striking features of the riad though, are the neutral color scheme and the lack of adornment. It’s a simple but very efficient philosophy in the context of such a busy and opulent city. The sense of appeasement you get within these walls is a blessing. Don’t get me wrong, it’s rich in its own demure way. There are beautiful carpets everywhere and a collection of beautiful details for those who take the time to linger a bit (which you’re bound to do).

Our room was called Omani. It had a vast bed dressed with delicate linens and offered a view on the inner courtyard. It was bathed in a perpetual chiaroscuro so typical of these corners of the world where the sun is best seen from a distance. It made for an even more sensory experience, the long woolen threads of the carpet under our feet, the smooth tadelakt walls, the burning tea teaching you patience. It felt very intimate.

Food here has that irresistible homemade perfume. You wake up in the morning to the smell of cinnamon bread or Moroccan pancakes. Breakfast is all about marveling at the humble sophistication of fresh fruits perfumed with rose water and leisurely sip your tea in a beautiful courtyard that feels neither inside nor outside. Having dinner at the riad is a very special experience also. When the night has fallen -and it is very dark in the medina- sitting at your table, surrounded by lanterns and enjoying an excellent Moroccan meal make for a great memory.

Like any good self-respecting Marrakchi riad, Dar Kawa has a rooftop. Up there, in addition to plenty of sunshine, you’ll find tables to eat, chairs to lounge in, and also the spa. The color scheme takes a warmer turn up there and textures revolve a drier theme, a foretaste of hat you might find should you decide to head for the desert.

Even in December, the light is still incredible, the sun still hot in the middle of the day. There is something about standing there, under that cloudless sky and letting yourself be submerged by that blinding light that I find exhilarating. It was that very last glimmer of summer before finishing the year in the gloomy Parisian weather.

Valérie Barkowski, the interior designer behind Dar Kawa, truly has managed to create a place that quietly stands out from the rest of the riads and hotels in Marrakech. The project has been going on since 1999 and the sense of serenity you get inside these walls probably also comes from the fact that this was a work of patience, slowly refined over the years. If, like us, you’re looking for an off-the-radar base to explore the city, you’ve got yourself a very good address right here.